Building block



J- L. WRIGHT Jan. 17, 1933.

Filed April 9. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ewenlbz in 52 7; aweWv Patented 17,1933 PATENT OFFICE JOHN LLOYD WEIGHT, MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA BUILDINGBLOCK Application fled April 9,

This invention relates to improvementsin building blocks for theamusement and 1nstruction of children, and more particularly to thecombination of certain foundational or essential pieces which, whencombined according to a definite scheme, permit the erection andconstruction of many different types and sizes of structures, limitedonly by the number of pieces available.

The object of the invention is to provide a set of building blocksdesigned not only to afford the child considerable latitude fororiginality in constructive endeavor, but also to provide the child withblocks which will produce stable structures, that is to say, structuresin which the blocks have positive interlocking connection in ahorizontal direction and ample stability in a vertical direction to giveconsiderable substantiality to the results of the builders efforts.

Other novel features of the invention will be made evident from thefollowing description taken with the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective view of two key blocks in position for'assembling one upon the other, with the interlocking connecting piecesin position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the connecting pieces;

Figure 3 is a perspective View of a pair of connecting piecesinterlocked for assembly in a column; 7

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the L-shaped filler blocks;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a wall section showing the method ofconnecting the key blocks and forming a corner; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a building detail showing the use ofall of the essential blocks and pieces.

The invention can perhaps be best understood by considering first themost essential P or primary blocks or pieces of the set, and then takingup the other pieces in the order of their importance in making up acomplete set, it being manifest that the more elaborate the type ofstructures to be constructed, the

eater the variety of blocks required, in-

eluding special blocks for completing the 1982. Serial ll'o. M182.

details. These, however, can be added at will, and therefore would notbe included in a standard set. w

The first block or piece to be identified is 4 the so-called key block 1of the set, so called because it is the main or primary block of anystructure. This block is generally cubical in shape, .but-on twoopposite faces the block is grooved centrally and symmetrically inopposite directions so that at each corner of each face are. upstandingcubical projections 1. As in all building sets, it is essential that theblocks or pieces be out or fashioned in accordance with a definitedimensional unit, which of course can be varied with the size of thepieces. In this instance of an inch has been selected, and eachdimension is therefore a multiple or fraction of this unit. Thus theblock 1 may be assumed to be 1 4 inches in each dimension, that is,length, width and height, the grooves in the two faces ofthe block of aninch wide and of an inch in depth, with the result that t e cubicalprojections 1 are of an inch in each dimension.

Now the next piece in importance to the key block is a tie or connectingblock 2 (Figure 2), the same having the general shape of a square letterC and proportioned according to the same dimensional unit. Thus, each ofthese pieces is 1 inches in length, of an inch in both width andthickness and having a notch 2 in one face which is of an inch in width,of an inch in depth, and spaced of an inch inwardly from each end. Thepieces of this ty e are used in several dif- 'ferent ways as will laterdescribed.

The third of the primary blocks is a simple angle or L-shaped piece 3(Figure 4) smaller than the otherpieces thus far described, and usedprimarily as a filler piece, that is, to fill cavities or openings in acolumn or wall, although it also serves to solidify two or moreassembled pieces by filling or blocking in spaces that otherwise wouldpermit of a relative movement between pieces. The functions of thisblock will also be later described in connection with illustratedfigures in the drawings.

Perhaps the simplest and most elementary structure that can be erectedwould be a column formed by placing one key block 1 upon the other. Thiscould be obviously accomplished merely by placing one upon another withtheir fiat sides in contact, but there would be no connecti n betweenthem and no stability, since the slightest force would displace them.But the key blocks are placed one upon the other so that they are oinedagainst displacement and with the aid of two of the connecting blocks 2which are 'oined together with their notches 2 inter ocked in the formof a cross and then fitted into the grooved face of the lower key block.The second key block is then placed on top of the first, with one of itsgrooved faces on the underside, as clearly shown in Figure 1. Now, thethickness of the interlocked connecting piec s 2 is equal to thecombined depth of the grooves in the opposite faces of the twosuperunposed key blocks, and moreover fit this cross-shaped spaceexactly so that the two key blocks are joined together a ainsthorizontal displacement. Additional blocks may be added to the column inthe same wa and thus carried to considerable height without danger oftoppling over.

The next step beyond the simple column element would be the erection ofa wall element (Figure 5), that is, the act of building horizontallyinstead of vertically. Here the start would be made by placing two keyblocks side by side with the cross grooved faces at the top and bottom.Now-to join these blocks together, the same pair of tie blocks 2 areused, but in this case they are placed back to back with their notchesfacing outwardly and then placed edgewise across from one block to theother filling one-half the grooved spaces in each block, with theiroppositely facing notches 2 embracing the contacting pairs of projectingcubes 1. Now, the key blocks are tied together against displacementhorizontally, and it will be seen that other key blocks can be added ateither end and tied to the wall section already completed and, when acourse of any length is completed, another course can be erected on topof it, and so onuntil a solid wall is completed.

Thewallmayterminate at acorner and continue at right angles, and to formthe corner one key block becomes the corner block, and those on eitherside would contact with adjacent rather than opposite faces. Moreover inconnecting the blocks together with the tie pieces 2, and L-shaped spaceis left around the outer corner projection 1", and herein occurs thefirst occasion for the use of one of the so-called filler blocks 3 whichis set on edge to fill this space, thus closing the apertures or gapsthat otherwise would be present in the surface. Another filler blockwould be used at the inside corner where an L- shaped cavity occurs, dueto the fact that the 1,ca4,coo

tie-pieces 2 not having mitered ends cannot meet along the inside row.In other words, only one tic-piece can be extended into the groovedspace of the corner block, thus leaving an L-shaped space of just theshape and volume to be filled by a second filler block 3.

Having thus described and illustrated the manner in which the primarypieces are assembled in forming a solid column and wall, the next stepis to provide openings in the wall for windows and doors (Figure 6).This then introduces the necessity for pieces to serve as lintels andbeams. The lintels 4 are fashioned somewhat after the tie-pieces 2,except that they are longer so that they will span an opening betweentwo blocks equal at least to the width of one of them, in which case theopening may be only the width of one block, but again the opening may belarger, and consequently the beam members are provided in differentlengths which are gau ed by the number of notches along one e ge. Now,these notches as before are of an inch wide and 1 g of an inch deep,with a space of of an inch between them and with the endmost notches ofan inch from either end. Again, a beam 5 is similar to a lintel exceptthat it is longer, its length being represented by from 3 to say 6 or 8notches and is used for s anning the distance between the opposite wa lsof a building and as supports for the roof.

Another very desirable block is what may be termed a one-half key block7 shown in use in several different locations in the structure ofFigure6. As its name indicates, this block is one-half section of a key block1 cut on a plane passing midway between the faces having the cornercubical projections, and thus is just one-half the height and has a fiatface 7 opposite one face having the cubical projections 7". This blockmay be used as a sill for a window opening, being inserted horizontallywith the fiat face uppermost. Again, a row of them may be used as thebottom or base of any wall or other structure. In this case the flatface is at the bottom with the cubical projections extending upwardly,as shown at the bottom of the column at the left of the structure inFigure 6, where the piece is dropped downwardly to show its contour moreclearly. And finally, the same block may be used as a cap member, as forthe top of the same column at, the left in Figure 6, and elevated justabove its normal position.

Beyond the blocks or pieces heretofore described, there may be differentstyles of special pieces, which are for the most part onehalf orone-quarter section of some one of the primary pieces. There may be alsomultiples of some ofthe pieces, as for example a key block twice as longas the standard block, and so on.

Needless to say, with a greater variety of blocks, the more elaboratethe structure or building that can be reproduced or erected,

but even with only the assortment heretofore designated as the primarypieces with perhaps the addition of some of the shorter beam members anda number of triangular shaped roof blocks 8, a child is equipped withall of the necessary materials for erecting many types of structures.

Indeed, it is possible to build with these blocks on two differentscales, namely, on a large scale in which each piece is merely oneelement of a building wall, and on a small scale in which each piece maytake in entire sections of a building. This fact emphasizes but one ofthe advantages of a set of building blocks composed of the pieces hereindescribed, namely, the flexibility and the possibility for variationsthat sustain the childs and different.

Another advantage already alluded to is the stability which accompaniesthe erection of the structures and is one that further creates andfosters the interest of the child, for it has frequently beendemonstrated that a child soon loses interest in building with ordinaryblocks, simply because the building or whatever else is beinglaboriously erected, collapses before it is completed. With the presenttype of block, the interlocking of the blocks is accomplished as theblocks or pieces are placed one upon the other in the same manner asplain blocks are erected, but with this difference, namely, that thechild knows that the structure when finished will be stable and can bepreserved as long as he wishes to have it remain intact.

Having set forth a preferred embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. A set of building blocks comprising cubical blocks, each having oneface thereof provided with grooves of a predetermined depth and widthintersecting at right angles whereby a cubical projection is retained ateach corner, and elongated connecting pieces having a rectangulartransverse notch cut in one of the longer faces thereof and adapted toconnect a row of said first mentioned blocks by an interlockingengagement with the cubical projections thereof.

2. A set of building blocks comprising cubical blocks, each having aface thereof provided with grooves of a predetermined depth and widthintersecting at right angles whereby a-small cubical projection isretained at each corner, and elongated connecting pieces having arectangular transverse notch cut in one of the longer faces thereof andhaving a thickness greater than the depth of the grooves in said firstmentioned blocks, said connecting blocks being adapted to connect saidfirst mentioned blocks together assembled with their grooved faces inthe same c0 plane and/or abutting.

interest and desire to create something new 3. A set of buildin blockscomprising a plurality of cubical bfiicks, each having opposite facessymmetrically out to form grooves intersecting at right angles, saidgrooves being substantially one-half the width of said faces and cut toa depth onehalf that of their width, leaving cubical portions projectingat each corner of said faces and connecting pieces each having a lengthequal to, a width one-half that of, and a thickness twice the depth ofthe said grooves, and having a rectangular notch cut centrally of one ofthe wider faces of a length and depth equal to the width and depth ofthe grooves in the first mentioned block, said cubical blocks andconnecting pieces being adapted to be joined together vertically and/orhorizontally by fitting the latter into the spaces formed by the groovedfaces of the former.

4. A set of building blocks comprising cubical blocks, each havin a faceout with intersecting grooves forming small cubical projections at thecorners thereof, and notched connecting pieces adapted to be assembledin pairs and fitted snugly within the grooves of two of said firstmentioned blocks when assembled in horizontal and/or vertical contact.

5. A set of building blocks comprising blocks having a square face cutwith intersecting grooves symmetrically arranged to form a cubicalprojection at each corner thereof, and connecting pieces notchedintermediate their ends and adapted to be assembled in pairs, each pairinterlocking to form a cross-like member adapted to fit within thegrooves of two of said blocks assembled with their corner projectionsabutting.

6. A set of building blocks comprising cubical blocks, each having aface thereof cut with intersecting grooves forming small integralcubical projections symmetrically positioned at the corners thereof, andconnecting pieces adapted to be assembled in pairs to fit within thegrooves and interlock with the cubical projections of said blocks forjoining a plurality of the same together when assembled in horizontaland vertical relation.

7. A set of building blocks comprisingcorners thereof, and connectingpieces of a thickness substantially twice the depth of said grooves andnotched intermediate their ends whereby the same may be interlocked toform a cross adapted to fit snugly within the grooves of two cubicalblocks when assembled with their grooved faces abutting.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 1st day of April, A. ,D. 1932.

JOHN LLOYD WRIGHT.

